Hat-pin guard.



R. W. & P. M.'SCHMIDT.

.HAT PIN GUARD.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29, 1913.

. vwemtom M Q vitweoo o LOLLMBIA PLANOGRAPH EU .\\'ASHINGTON n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCHMIDT AND FRANK SCHMIDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAT-PIN GUARD.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT W. SCHMIDT and FRANK M. SCHMIDT, subjects of the Emperor of Germany, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Pin Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hat pin guards for protecting the points of hat pins, but it may also be advantageously employed on other pins, such as scarf or stick pins.

The object of our invention is to provide a protector of the character described which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, may be readily applied to and removed from an ordinary pin without injuring or abrading the same, will retain its position on the pin against accidental jars, etc, and which is ornamental rather than unsightly in appearance.

A further object is to reduce the number of parts of the guard or protector, doing away with all separate or adjustable parts which are apt to get out of order or be lost.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification, and then set forth more specifically in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hat pin having attached thereto a guard or protector constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudi-'- ual section of the portion of the guard having the gripping member, the head of said guard and the pointed end portion of the pin being shown in elevation, and Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line a:% of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A designates an ordinary hat pin provided with any suitable or desired form of head a. It will be noted that the shank and tapered point of the pin are of the usual straight form without enlargements, notches or other peculiar constructions which have heretofore been resorted to as a means for locking the guard thereto.

The guard or protector B consists essen- Specification of Letters Patent. t t p 2 1914 Application filed March 29, 1913.

Serial No. 757,632.

tially of a tubular portion open at one end and closed at the other end by a head b which may correspond to the head of the pin if desired. The internal diameter of the tubular portion is such as to permit the pointed end of the pin to be easily inserted therein and withdrawn therefrom. When inserted, however, the pin is clamped in said tubular portion of the guard by a gripping member 6 which is formed integral with the tubular portion by cutting two transverse slots 7) about half way through the latter, and pressing or flattening the part of the tube between said slots, the inner end 6 of said flattened part being depressed more than the outer edge thereof so that said gripping member lies obliquely to the axis of the tube. The flattened part or gripping member is reduced in thickness in order to increase its resiliency by filing or otherwise cutting away some of the metal. In thus cutting away the metal the inner and lower edge of the gripping member is made thinner than its outer and upper end, the change or increase in thickness being gradual from said inner to said outer edge, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The result is that the inner edge, which is really the gripping edge, is of greater resiliency than the other portions of the gripping member.

In operation, when the pin is inserted into the tube, the pointed end of said pin rides under the inclined gripping member 6 and forces the latter outward. This is done gradually as the tapered point of the pin passes below; the gripping member. Of course, the inner edge of said member which is depressed the farthest will be forced outward the farthest and by reason of its greater resiliency will exert the strongest pressure or clamping action upon the pin, so that when once inserted it is practically impossible to accidentally dislodge or withdraw said pin. At the same time, a rotary or twisting movement between the pin and guard will readily separate them.

It will be observed that by entirely severing or separating the gripping member from the tube by the transverse slots, said member is given an independent action and added resiliency which would be impossible of attainment otherwise. Moreover, this construction provides an abrupt gripping edge, namely the inner edge of the gripping member, which is capable of exerting a much more effective clamping action upon the pin than is otherwise possible. It will also be noted that the incline of the gripping member allows the tapered end of the pin to ride easily and gradually under it Without injury to said pin.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pin guard having a tubular portion to receive the pointed end of a pin, said tubular portion having two transverse slots, the part between said slots being depressed and inclined to form a gripping member the inner edge of which is depressed to a greater extent.

2. A pin guard having a tubular portion to receive the pointed end of a pin, said tubular portion having two transverse slots, the part between said slots being depressed and reduced in thickness to form a resilient gripping member the inner edge of which is depressed to a greater extent and thinner for the purpose specified.

3. A pin guard having a tubular portion to receive the pointed end of a pin, said tubular portion having two transverse slots, the part between said slots being depressed so as to lie obliquely to the axis of the tubular portion and gradually reduced in thickness to its inner edge which is also depressed to a greater extent for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT V. SCHMIDT. FRANK M. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses PIERRE M. CLEAR, ROLAND E. RENWICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

